GroundUp reports that more than 50 SA Revenue Service (SARS) workers and supporters braved the cold and rain to picket outside the tax collector’s offices in Cape Town on Tuesday.

The workers, affiliated to the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) and the Public Servants Association (PSA), were demanding an across the board wage increase of 7%. The picket was a buildup to a planned nationwide strike on Wednesday and came as negotiations, which started in January, between union representatives and SARS deadlocked this week. SARS initially tabled no increase, while workers demanded 12%. According to Nehawu and PSA, SARS has since offered a 1.4% increase while the workers’ demand has dropped to 7%. But, according to one PSA official, “1.4% is not going to cut it". On Sunday, SARS said it had met Nehawu and PSA representatives on how to allocate available funding towards financial relief for employees and to resolve the dispute. According to SARS, its funding allocation from the National Treasury made no provision for salary increases and it would be forced to use funds from its savings to meet workers’ demands. In response to other demands raised by the unions, SARS said it was continuing to negotiate with representatives "and has made an offer, which is still under their consideration". SARS said it will only report in detail once the labour discussions have been resolved.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marecia Damons at Fin24

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